Monday, February 27, 2006

Smart Infill Development

This is a great example of how most parts of Sacramento need to grow in order to become a true urban center.

Not the biggest of projects, and while I prefer to see much more dense projects in downtown proper, if you put enough of these mixed use projects in established neighborhoods such as Midtown, on Alhambra Blvd and Broadway, in Oak Park and even in parts of East Sac and Land Park, walkable neighborhoods begin to form and existing ones are further enhanced. People walking, not driving to the retail in these projects make for great urban neighborhoods.

Midtown is already the most dense area of Sacramento, infill projects like this, and some that are are bigger (like 18th and L and L Street Lofts) are what is going to turn midtown into what is already a good place into an even better urban environment._______________________________________________________________

One of the city's top "infill" development companies has set its sights on the hot R Street corridor with plans for homes, apartments and a restaurant on a narrow lot at the northwest corner of R and 27th.

New Faze Development expects to break ground on the complex next month and have it completed in the first quarter of next year.

The project - called "Alchemy at R Street" - has a quirky, hard-edged design that brings "pop" to the neighborhood, says Martin Tuttle, a New Faze vice president.

It seems to fit with city and private plans to make R Street a pedestrian-friendly stretch of apartments, condos, restaurants and retail shops.

Tuttle says New Faze plans to create a brand around the "Alchemy" concept, based on the notion of taking difficult sites and "turning them into gold."

A second Alchemy project is planned at 34th Street and First Avenue in Oak Park. Others are to follow.

The R Street project, designed by Darryl Chinn Architects, will have 15 town-house and work/live rental units along with a ground-floor cafe in one building, and eight detached for-sale homes, ranging from 900 to 1,200 square feet.